Short-Range Wireless Communication for a Dialysis System

ABSTRACT

A dialysis system comprising: a dialysis machine; a communication module configured to communicate using a short-range wireless technology protocol; data storage configured to store data corresponding to identities of one or more short-range wireless devices; and a processor configured to: identify presence of a short-range wireless device; and cause the dialysis machine to carry out an action when one or both of i) the presence of the short-range wireless device is identified, and ii) the presence of the short-range wireless device is no longer identified.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of and claims priority toU.S. application Ser. No. 16/707,638, filed on Dec. 9, 2019, which is acontinuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/865,461, filedon Sep. 25, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,532,139. The entire contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to wireless communication for dialysis systems.

BACKGROUND

Renal dysfunction or failure and, in particular, end-stage renaldisease, causes the body to lose the ability to remove water andminerals and excrete harmful metabolites, maintain acid-base balance andcontrol electrolyte and mineral concentrations within physiologicalranges. Toxic uremic waste metabolites, including urea, creatinine, anduric acid, accumulate in the body's tissues which can result in aperson's death if the filtration function of the kidney is not replaced.

Dialysis is commonly used to replace kidney function by removing thesewaste toxins and excess water. In one type of dialysistreatment—hemodialysis (HD)—toxins are filtered from a patient's bloodexternally in a hemodialysis machine. Blood passes from the patientthrough a dialyzer separated by a semi-permeable membrane from a largevolume of externally-supplied dialysis solution. The waste and toxinsdialyze out of the blood through the semi-permeable membrane into thedialysis solution, which is then typically discarded.

The dialysis solutions or dialysates used during hemodialysis typicallycontain sodium chloride and other electrolytes, such as calcium chlorideor potassium chloride, a buffer substance, such as bicarbonate oracetate, and acid to establish a physiological pH, plus, optionally,glucose or another osmotic agent.

Another type of dialysis treatment is peritoneal dialysis (PD) thatutilizes the patient's own peritoneum, a membranous lining of theabdominal body cavity. With its good perfusion properties, theperitoneum is capable of acting as a natural semi-permeable membrane fortransferring water and waste products to a type of dialysate solutionknown as PD solution introduced temporarily into the patient's abdominalcavity. An access port is implanted in the patient's abdomen and the PDsolution is infused usually by a pump into the patient's abdomen througha patient line and left to dwell for a period of time and then drainedout. This procedure is usually repeated multiple times for a completetreatment. PD machines, such as Automated PD (APD) machines or PDcyclers, are designed to facilitate or control the PD process so that itcan be performed at home without clinical staff in attendance.

Dialysis machines are typically equipped with interfaces for receivinginputs and providing information to users.

SUMMARY

A dialysis machine can be configured to identify presence of ashort-range wireless device like an NFC-enabled ID card and then carryout a dialysis treatment when the presence of the short-range wirelessdevice is identified.

In one aspect, a dialysis system includes a dialysis machine. Thedialysis system also includes a communication module configured tocommunicate using a short-range wireless technology protocol. Thedialysis system also includes data storage configured to store datacorresponding to identities of one or more short-range wireless devices.The dialysis system also includes a processor configured to identifypresence of a short-range wireless device. The processor is alsoconfigured to cause the dialysis machine to carry out an action when oneor both of i) the presence of the short-range wireless device isidentified, and ii) the presence of the short-range wireless device isno longer identified.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features.

In some implementations, the short-range wireless device includes acommunication module configured to communicate with the communicationmodule of the dialysis system.

In some implementations, the action includes initiating a dialysistreatment.

In some implementations, the processor is configured to identify one ormore treatment parameters for the dialysis treatment based on the datacorresponding to the identity of the short-range wireless device. Theprocessor is also configured to cause the dialysis machine to carry outthe dialysis treatment based on the identified one or more treatmentparameters.

In some implementations, the dialysis machine is configured to operate apump of the dialysis system. The action includes operation of the pump.

In some implementations, the treatment parameter includes one or more ofa dialysate type, a dialysate fill volume, and a dialysate flow rate.

In some implementations, the processor is configured to determine thatthe presence of the short-range wireless device has ceased, and inresponse, automatically carry out the action.

In some implementations, the processor is configured to determine thatthe presence of the short-range wireless device has ceased before anexpected termination of the action. The processor is also configured to,in response to determining that the presence of the short-range wirelessdevice has ceased before the expected termination of the action, carryout an emergency procedure.

In some implementations, the action includes a dialysis treatment.

In some implementations, the emergency procedure includes one or both ofpausing and ceasing the dialysis treatment.

In some implementations, the action includes stopping operation of apump of the dialysis system.

In some implementations, the action includes initiating a disinfectionprocedure. In some implementations, the action includes transmittingdata representing information about a patient undergoing a dialysistreatment.

In some implementations, the data is transmitted to and stored on theshort-range wireless device.

In some implementations, the dialysis system also includes a userinterface module. The action includes causing the user interface moduleto prompt a user of the dialysis system to indicate whether to cease adialysis treatment.

In some implementations, the short-range wireless device includes anidentification card.

In some implementations, the dialysis machine includes a housing. Thehousing has a surface upon which the identification card can rest. Thecommunication module is within the housing at a location substantiallyadjacent to the surface.

In some implementations, the identification card includes a photographof a person associated with the identification card.

In some implementations, the communication module is configured tocommunicate using a Near-Field Communication (NFC) protocol.

In some implementations, the communication module is configured tocommunicate using an RFID protocol.

In some implementations, the communication module is configured tocommunicate using a Bluetooth™ protocol.

In some implementations, the data corresponding to identities of one ormore short-range wireless devices include data representing a valuestored on the short-range wireless device.

In some implementations, the data corresponding to identities of one ormore short-range wireless devices include a portion of a patient recordof a patient who will undergo a dialysis treatment.

In some implementations, the portion of the patient record includes thepatient's name.

In some implementations, the dialysis system also includes a networkcommunication module. The data storage is configured to receive theportion of the patient record by way of the network communicationmodule. The portion of the patient record originates at a computersystem of a medical facility.

In some implementations, the processor is configured to determine thatthe short-range wireless device corresponds to a medical supplyassociated with the dialysis treatment.

In some implementations, the dialysis treatment includes a hemodialysistreatment.

In some implementations, the dialysis treatment includes a peritonealdialysis treatment.

In another aspect, a method of performing dialysis includes detecting,using a short-range wireless technology protocol, presence of ashort-range wireless device. The method also includes determining thatthe short-range wireless device is associated with a patient. The methodalso includes causing a pump of a dialysis machine to administer adialysis treatment to the patient. The method also includesautomatically performing at least one action in response to one or bothof i) determining that the short-range wireless device is present, andii) determining that the short-range wireless device is no longerpresent.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features.

In some implementations, the short-range wireless device includes anidentification card of the patient.

In some implementations, causing the pump to administer the dialysistreatment is the action that is automatically performed.

In some implementations, the action includes initiating a disinfectionprocedure. In some implementations, the method also includes identifyingone or more treatment parameters for the dialysis treatment based on theidentity of the patient. The method also includes causing the pump toadminister the dialysis treatment based on the identified one or moretreatment parameters.

In some implementations, the method also includes transmitting datarepresenting information about the patient.

In some implementations, the data is transmitted to and stored on theshort-range wireless device.

Implementations can include one or more of the following advantages.

In some implementations, the systems and methods described herein canallow a user to easily provide information to the dialysis systemwithout manually entering such information, thereby increasingefficiency and minimizing potential mistakes due to human error.

In some implementations, information that is typically manually enteredfollowing a treatment can be automatically transmitted and/or stored toa computer system, server, and/or database associated with the medicalfacility, thereby increasing efficiency and minimizing potentialmistakes due to human error.

In some implementations, the dialysis machine automatically initiates acleaning or disinfecting procedure upon removal of the ID card. In thisway, dialysis machines can automatically be put in appropriate conditionfor a subsequent treatment without needing to receive a manualinstruction.

The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth inthe accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features,objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thedescription and drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a hemodialysis system thatincludes a communication module configured to communicate using ashort-range wireless technology protocol.

FIG. 2 shows an example of an ID card that is configured to communicatewith the communication module of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the hemodialysis system of FIG. 1in which the ID card of FIG. 2 is resting on top of a housing of thehemodialysis machine.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting an example of performing dialysis.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a computer system.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Medical devices (e.g., dialysis machines, dialysis machine components,dialysis machine accessories, etc.) can be configured to wirelesslycommunicate with other devices through a connection between the devices.A “connection” established between devices as described herein refers toelectronic communication between two or more devices such that data canbe communicated between the devices. The connection can be aunidirectional connection (in which data travels one way) or abidirectional connection (in which data travels both ways).

A dialysis system can be configured to communicate with a portabledevice, such as an ID card (or another kind of card or device), using aconnection established according to a short-range wireless technologyprotocol. One implementation of a short range wireless technologyprotocol is Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. The example of anID card will be used throughout this description. When the ID card isintroduced to or removed from proximity to the dialysis system, thedialysis system can perform one or more actions. For example, when theID card is within a particular range of the dialysis system, thedialysis system can identify a user associated with the ID card andperform a dialysis treatment that is tailored to the particular user(e.g., a dialysis patient). When the ID card is removed from theparticular range of the dialysis system, the dialysis system can performan action such as initiating a disinfecting procedure,stopping/adjusting a treatment, or transmitting patient information(e.g., to a database and/or server associated with a medical facility).

FIG. 1 shows a dialysis system, such as a hemodialysis system 100,configured to wirelessly communicate with short-range wireless devices,such as an identification (ID) card 105. Although the system describedherein is largely discussed in connection with hemodialysis systems byway of example, it is explicitly noted that the system described hereinmay be used in connection with other types of medical devices andtreatments, including peritoneal dialysis (PD) systems. The hemodialysissystem 100 includes a hemodialysis machine 102 connected to a disposableblood component set 104 that partially forms a blood circuit. Duringhemodialysis treatment, an operator connects arterial and venous patientlines 106, 108 of the blood component set 104 to a patient. The bloodcomponent set 104 includes an air release device 112, which contains aself-sealing vent assembly that allows air but does not allow liquid topass. As a result, if blood passing through the blood circuit duringtreatment contains air, the air release device 112 will vent the air toatmosphere.

The blood component set 104 is secured to a module 130 attached to thefront of the hemodialysis machine 102. The module 130 includes the bloodpump 132 capable of circulating blood through the blood circuit. Themodule 130 also includes various other instruments capable of monitoringthe blood flowing through the blood circuit. The module 130 includes adoor that when closed, as shown in FIG. 1, cooperates with the frontface of the module 130 to form a compartment that is sized and shaped toreceive the blood component set 104. In the closed position, the doorpresses certain blood components of the blood component set 104 againstcorresponding instruments exposed on the front face of the module 130.

The operator uses a blood pump module 134 to operate the blood pump 132.The blood pump module 134 includes a display window, a start/stop key,an up key, a down key, a level adjust key, and an arterial pressureport. The display window displays the blood flow rate setting duringblood pump operation. The start/stop key starts and stops the blood pump132. The up and down keys increase and decrease the speed of the bloodpump 132. The level adjust key raises a level of fluid in an arterialdrip chamber. The hemodialysis machine 102 further includes a dialysatecircuit formed by the dialyzer 110, various other dialysate components,and dialysate lines connected to the hemodialysis machine 102. Many ofthese dialysate components and dialysate lines are inside the housing103 of the hemodialysis machine 102 and are thus not visible in FIG. 1.During treatment, while the blood pump 132 circulates blood through theblood circuit, dialysate pumps (not shown) circulate dialysate throughthe dialysate circuit.

A dialysate container 124 is connected to the hemodialysis machine 102via a dialysate supply line 126. A drain line 128 and an ultrafiltrationline 129 also extend from the hemodialysis machine 102. The dialysatesupply line 126, the drain line 128, and the ultrafiltration line 129are fluidly connected to the various dialysate components and dialysatelines inside the housing 103 of the hemodialysis machine 102 that formpart of the dialysate circuit. During hemodialysis, the dialysate supplyline 126 carries fresh dialysate from the dialysate container 124 to theportion of the dialysate circuit located inside the hemodialysis machine102. As noted above, the fresh dialysate is circulated through variousdialysate lines and dialysate components, including the dialyzer 110,that form the dialysate circuit. As will be described below, as thedialysate passes through the dialyzer 110, it collects toxins from thepatient's blood. The resulting spent dialysate is carried from thedialysate circuit to a drain via the drain line 128. Whenultrafiltration is performed during treatment, a combination of spentdialysate (described below) and excess fluid drawn from the patient iscarried to the drain via the ultrafiltration line 129.

The dialyzer 110 serves as a filter for the patient's blood. Thedialysate passes through the dialyzer 110 along with the blood, asdescribed above. A semi-permeable structure (e.g., a semi-permeablemembrane and/or semi-permeable microtubes) within the dialyzer 110separates blood and dialysate passing through the dialyzer 110. Thisarrangement allows the dialysate to collect toxins from the patient'sblood. The filtered blood exiting the dialyzer 110 is returned to thepatient. The dialysate exiting the dialyzer 110 includes toxins removedfrom the blood and is commonly referred to as “spent dialysate.” Thespent dialysate is routed from the dialyzer 110 to a drain.

A drug pump 192 also extends from the front of the hemodialysis machine102. The drug pump 192 is a syringe pump that includes a clampingmechanism configured to retain a syringe 178 of the blood component set104. The drug pump 192 also includes a stepper motor configured to movethe plunger of the syringe 178 along the axis of the syringe 178. Ashaft of the stepper motor is secured to the plunger in a manner suchthat when the stepper motor is operated in a first direction, the shaftforces the plunger into the syringe, and when operated in a seconddirection, the shaft pulls the plunger out of the syringe 178. The drugpump 192 can thus be used to inject a liquid drug (e.g., heparin) fromthe syringe 178 into the blood circuit via a drug delivery line 174during use, or to draw liquid from the blood circuit into the syringe178 via the drug delivery line 174 during use.

The hemodialysis machine 102 includes a user interface with inputdevices such as a touch screen 118 and a control panel 120. The touchscreen 118 and the control panel 120 allow the operator to input variousdifferent treatment parameters to the hemodialysis machine 102 and tootherwise control the hemodialysis machine 102. The touch screen 118displays information to the operator of the hemodialysis system 100. Thetouch screen 118 can also indicate whether the ID card 105 is in withincommunication range of the hemodialysis machine 102.

The hemodialysis machine 102 also includes a control unit 101 (e.g., aprocessor) configured to receive signals from and transmit signals tothe touch screen 118, the control panel 120, and a communication module107 (e.g., an NFC transceiver). The control unit 101 can control theoperating parameters of the hemodialysis machine 102, for example, basedat least in part on the signals received by the touch screen 118, thecontrol panel 120, and the communication module 107. The communicationmodule 107 is configured to communicate with a short-range wirelessdevice using a short-range wireless technology protocol. For example,the communication module 107 allows the hemodialysis machine 102 tocommunicate with the ID card 105.

The control unit 101 is configured to identify presence of the ID card105. For example, when the ID card 105 is within wireless communicationrange of the communication module 107, the communication module 107 cansend a signal to the control unit 101 indicating that the ID card 105 ispresent. In response, the control unit 101 can cause the hemodialysismachine 102 to perform an action, as described in more detail below.Similarly, when the ID card 105 is taken out of wireless communicationrange of the communication module 107 (e.g., the ID card 105 goes frombeing in wireless communication range of the communication module 107 tonot being in wireless communication range of the communication module107), the communication module 107 can send a signal to the control unit101 indicating that the ID card 105 is not present. In response, thecontrol unit 101 can cause the hemodialysis machine 102 to perform anaction.

Referring to FIG. 2, the communication module 107 can be positioned ator near the top of the hemodialysis machine 102 such that the ID card105 is within wireless communication range of the communication module107 when the ID card 105 is placed on a surface 202 (e.g., a topsurface) of the housing 103 of the hemodialysis machine 102. Thecommunication module 107 is positioned within the housing 103 at alocation substantially adjacent to the surface. In some implementations,the surface 202 includes a recess (not shown) in which the ID card 105can rest such that the ID card 105 does not easily slide off of thesurface with incidental contact.

The hemodialysis system 100 also includes a data storage configured tostore data corresponding to identities of one or more short-rangewireless devices, including the ID card 105. The data storage can beincluded as part of the hemodialysis machine 102 or may be remote fromthe hemodialysis machine 102 (e.g., on a server accessible by a computernetwork).

FIG. 3 shows an example of the ID card 105. The ID card 105 includes acommunication module 302 (e.g., an NFC transceiver) that is configuredto communicate with other communication modules using a short-rangewireless technology protocol, such as the communication module 107 ofthe hemodialysis machine 102. The ID card 105 also includes a photo 304of the person associated with the ID card and identification information306. In this example, the ID card 105 is associated with a patient, andthe identification information 306 includes the patient's name, thepatient's address, and a patient identification number.

The communication modules 107, 302 are sometimes referred to as NFCinitiators and NFC targets. NFC is a short-range wireless technologyprotocol that enables devices to establish radio communication amongsteach other in order to quickly exchange data over a low latency link(e.g., a link which has relatively low delay between transmission andreceipt of a portion of data such as a data packet or frame). Someimplementations of NFC techniques are based on standards defined by theInternational Electrotechnical Commission and/or the InternationalOrganization for Standardization (ISO), for example, standards such asISO 13157 and ISO 18092.

In some examples, the communication module 107 of the hemodialysismachine 102 may be an NFC initiator, and the communication module 302 ofthe ID card 105 may be an NFC target. For example, the ID card 105 mayinclude a short-range communication technique, such as a contactlesschip. Techniques for using contactless chips that could be used with theID card 105 are defined in ISO 14443. The NFC initiator can generate anRF field that powers the NFC target when the NFC target is withinoperable range of the NFC initiator, thereby allowing the NFC target toprovide data to the NFC initiator. In this way, the ID card 105 canprovide information to the hemodialysis system 100.

The operable range of the NFC initiator and NFC target may be in theorder of inches (e.g., 0-6 inches). In some implementations, thetransfer of data is initiated upon the NFC initiator and the NFC targetmaking physical contact with each other. In some implementations, theNFC initiator and/or the NFC target can include a motion sensor (e.g.,an accelerometer) to assist in identifying the occurrence of physicalcontact between the modules.

The NFC initiator is sometimes part of another electronic device such asa mobile phone, a computer, or as in this example, a medical device. TheNFC initiator can have an independent power source or it can receivepower from a power source that provides power to the electronic device.The NFC initiator can include a loop antenna that uses magneticinduction to generate an RF field.

The NFC target (sometimes referred to as an NFC tag) is typically apassive module that relies on the power generated by the RF field tooperate. The NFC target can include a memory that stores data to beprovided to the NFC initiator. The NFC target can also include a loopantenna that is configured to modulate the RF field generated by the NFCinitiator. The modulation is based at least in part on the stored data.The NFC initiator can identify characteristics of the modulated field,compare them to characteristics of the generated RF field, and use thecomparison information to determine the data stored on the NFCinitiator. Because the NFC target does not require its own power supply,the NFC target can take relatively simple form factors that can easilybe incorporated into small portable devices, such as the ID card 105.

In some implementations, the NFC target is powered by its own powersupply. In some examples, the NFC target can also generate an RF field,and the NFC initiator can modulate the RF field generated by the NFCtarget in a manner similar to that described above in order to providedata to the NFC target.

The NFC initiator and NFC target can transfer data at various speeds andaccording to various codings. For example, data can be transferred atspeeds in the range of 100-500 kbit/s according to a delay encodingscheme or a phase encoding scheme. The NFC target and/or the NFCinitiator can employ an amplitude modulation scheme (e.g., anamplitude-shift keying scheme) or a phase modulation scheme (e.g., aphase-shift keying scheme), among others, to modulate the generated RFfield in order to convey information.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the ID card 105 is configured toprovide information related to the patient's identity to thehemodialysis system 100 when the ID card 105 is in proximity to (e.g.,within wireless communication range of) the communication module 107.The information related to the patient's identity may be the patient'sname and/or ID. In some implementations, the information related to thepatient's identity is a value that corresponds to the patient's nameand/or ID number, and the value is stored on the ID card 105. Thehemodialysis system 100 can determine the patient's identity based onthe received identification information. For example, the hemodialysissystem 100 can access the data storage that stores data corresponding toidentities of one or more short-range wireless devices, and use thepatient's name and/or ID (or, e.g., the corresponding value) receivedfrom the ID card 105 to determine the identity of the patient. Inresponse, the hemodialysis machine 102 can perform an action that isbased at least in part on the identity of the patient.

In some implementations, the data corresponding to identities of one ormore short-range wireless devices can include portions of patientrecords, such as each associated patient's name, address, phone number,identification number, and the like. The data corresponding toidentities of one or more short-range wireless devices can include datarepresenting the value that corresponds to the patient's name and/or IDnumber. The hemodialysis system 100 can query the data corresponding toidentities of one or more short-range wireless devices using the patientname, ID, and/or value received from the ID card 105 to find thecorresponding patient record and determine the identity of the patient.In various implementations, the data may be stored on the hemodialysissystem 100 and periodically updated, such as via transmission usingstorage devices, e.g., having universal serial bus (USB) interfaces,that are transferred between the hemodialysis system 100 and a remotecomputer and/or site. In some implementations, the data may be obtainedby the hemodialysis system 100 using real-time communication over anetwork, as described in further detail elsewhere herein.

The data corresponding to identities of one or more short-range wirelessdevices can also include information such as each associated patient'smedical history, treatment prescriptions, treatment parameters, and thelike. Examples of treatment parameters include a dialysate type, adialysate fill volume, and a dialysate flow rate, to name a few. Upondetermining that the ID card 105 belongs to a particular patient, thehemodialysis system 100 can identify a particular treatment thatcorresponds to that patient and cause the hemodialysis machine 102 tocarry out an action. In some implementations, the action includes adialysis treatment (e.g., the particular dialysis treatment thatcorresponds to the patient. For example, the hemodialysis system 100 canidentify treatment parameters included in the dialysis treatment andidentify particular values for those treatment parameters. The controlunit 101 can cause the hemodialysis machine 102, including the dialyzer110, to carry out the dialysis treatment based on the identifiedtreatment parameters.

For example, suppose that the patient associated with the ID card 105,John Doe, has a medical condition that requires an atypical dialysistreatment. Perhaps John's treatment requires an abnormally low dialysateflow rate. The hemodialysis system 100 receives the patientidentification information from the ID card 105, accesses the datastorage, and uses the received patient identification information toidentify medical information related to John. The medical informationincludes John's medical history, treatment prescriptions, and treatmentparameters; in particular, the treatment prescription includesinstructions for causing the hemodialysis machine 102 to employ theabnormally low dialysate flow rate that John requires. Such informationis provided to the control unit 101, and the control unit 101 causes theappropriate treatment to be administered to John. For example, thecontrol unit 101 can cause the hemodialysis machine 102 to operate thedialyzer 110 and/or operate a pump (e.g., a dialysate pump) such thatthe required dialysate flow rate is achieved.

As briefly mentioned above, in some implementations, the control unit101 is configured to determine that the presence of the ID card 105 hasceased, and in response, cause the hemodialysis machine 102 to performan action. The action may include a dialysis operation or be related toa dialysis operation. In some implementations, the dialysis operationincludes initiation of a disinfection procedure, such as cleaning,rinsing, and/or other disinfection protocols.

In some implementations, the action includes an emergency and/or safetyprocedure. For example, the control unit 101 may determine that thepresence of the ID card 105 has ceased before the normal (e.g.,expected) termination of a treatment. In response, the control unit 101can cause the hemodialysis machine 102 to carry out an emergencyprocedure that can include pausing and/or ceasing the dialysistreatment. For example, the control unit 101 may cause one or more pumpsof the hemodialysis machine 102 to slow down and/or stop operating. Insome implementations, the hemodialysis system 100 includes a userinterface module that is configured to cause user interface elements(e.g., buttons) to be displayed on the touch screen 118. Upondetermining that the presence of the ID card 105 has ceased, the controlunit 101 may cause the user interface module to display a prompt to auser of the hemodialysis machine 102 to indicate whether to pause and/orcease the dialysis treatment. In some implementations, the dialysistreatment is not paused and/or ceased unless one or more conditions aresatisfied. For example, the dialysis treatment may not be paused and/orceased unless the hemodialysis system 100 determines that the patient isin a safe state.

In some implementations, the hemodialysis system 100 includes a networkcommunication module 109. The network communication module 109 allowsthe hemodialysis system 100 to communicate with remote servers, computersystems, databases and/or other medical devices over a network such as alocal area network (LAN) or the Internet. The network communicationmodule 109 allows the hemodialysis system 100 to communicate with othermedical devices, computer systems, servers, and/or databases associatedwith one or more medical facilities. The network communication module109 may enable communication over the network using wired and/orwireless connections. For example, the network communication module 109may enable communication using WiFi communication protocols andinfrastructure and/or may enable communication using wireless mobiletelecommunication networks. The system described herein may useappropriate encryption and security standards and protocols inconnection with the transmission of sensitive and/or protected data inaccordance with statutory and regulatory requirements.

In some implementations, the data corresponding to identities of one ormore short-range wireless device is stored remote from the hemodialysissystem 100. For example, the data corresponding to identities of one ormore short-range wireless device can be stored on a computer system,server, and/or database that is associated with a medical facilitycorresponding to that of the hemodialysis system 100. The computersystem, server, and/or database may be a medical database in whichpatient information is stored. In this way, the hemodialysis system 100can receive portions of patient records from a remote location, e.g.obtained via communication over a network, when the ID card 105 iswithin wireless communication range of the communication module 107. Thehemodialysis system 100 can then use the received information toidentify the patient and determine the patient's medical history,treatment prescriptions, treatment parameters, and the like.

In some implementation, the hemodialysis system 100 transmits data whenthe presence of the ID card 105 has ceased. The data can includeinformation related to the patient's dialysis treatment, such astreatment results and/or treatment details (e.g., treatment runtime,drugs administered, particular treatments/functions performed, etc.). Inthis way, information that is typically manually entered following atreatment can be automatically transmitted and stored. The data can betransmitted to the computer system, server, and/or database associatedwith the medical facility for storage. In some implementations, the datais transmitted and stored on a storage module of the ID card 105. Thestorage module may be part of or separate from the communication module302. When the patient receives his or her next treatment, informationrelated to the previous treatment can be provided to the hemodialysissystem 100 and considered for determining an appropriate treatment. Thestorage module can also store the information related to the identity ofthe user (e.g., the patient's name, ID, and/or associated value).

FIG. 4 is a flowchart 400 depicting an example of performing dialysis.At step 402, presence of a short-range wireless device is detected usinga short-range wireless technology protocol such as NFC. For example,when the ID card (105 of FIGS. 1-3) is within wireless communicationrange of the communication module 107, the communication module 107 cansend a signal to the control unit 101 indicating that the ID card 105 ispresent.

At step 404, the short-range wireless device is determined to beassociated with a patient. The ID card 105 can provide informationrelated to the patient's identity to the hemodialysis system 100. Theinformation related to the patient's identity can include the patient'sname, the patient's ID, and/or a value that corresponds to the patient'sname or ID. The hemodialysis system 100 can access data corresponding toidentities of one or more ID cards, which can include portions ofpatient records, and use the patient's name, ID, and/or correspondingvalue to determine the identity of the particular patient associatedwith the particular ID card 105.

At step 406, a dialysis treatment is administered to the patient. Thehemodialysis system 100 causes a pump of the hemodialysis machine 102 toadminister the dialysis treatment. The pump may include a blood pumpand/or a dialysate pump. In some implementations, the dialysis treatmentis based at least in part on the data corresponding to identities of oneor more ID cards, which can include medical histories, treatmentprescriptions, and/or treatment parameters that correspond to patientsassociated with each ID card. In this way, the dialysis treatment may betailored for the particular patient associated with the ID card 105.

At step 408, at least one action is automatically performed in responseto one or both of i) determining that the short-range wireless device ispresent, and ii) determining that the short-range wireless device is nolonger present. The action can include a dialysis operation, a datatransmission, a cleaning/disinfecting procedure, and/or an emergencyprocedure (e.g., pausing, adjusting, or stopping operating of the pump).In some implementations, upon determining that the presence of the IDcard 105 has ceased, the control unit 101 may cause a prompt to bedisplayed to a user of the hemodialysis machine 102 to indicate whetherto perform the suggested action. In some implementations, the action isnot performed unless one or more conditions are satisfied. For example,the action may not be performed unless the hemodialysis system 100determines that the patient is in a safe state.

While certain implementations have been described, other implementationsare possible.

In some implementations, the short-range wireless device (e.g., the IDcard) is configured to communicate with other short-range wirelessdevice, medical devices, and/or computer systems (including mobilecomputing devices). The short-range wireless device can receiveinformation from or provide information to computing terminals in amedical facility. For example, a patient may introduce the short-rangewireless device to a terminal to cause the information on theshort-range wireless device to be updated. Information that can beupdated includes the patient's record, medical history, treatmentprescriptions, treatment parameters, and the like. The updatedinformation can be provided by a medical database via the terminal.Similarly, information that is stored on the short-range wirelessdevice, but which is not yet stored on the medical database, can beprovided to the medical database via the terminal in order to update thepatient's medical records. In some implementations, a patient mayintroduce the short-range wireless device to a mobile phone, a tablet,and/or any computing device configured to communicate with theshort-range wireless technology protocol to receive and/or provide suchinformation.

In some implementations, the hemodialysis system is configured tocommunicate, through the communication module, with other medicaldevices and/or medical accessories that utilize the short-range wirelesstechnology protocol. For example, a medical supply, such as a supply ofconcentrate (e.g., a bicarbonate bag), can include a communicationmodule that is configured to communicate with other communicationmodules using the short-range wireless technology protocol. The medicalsupply can also include a storage module that stores information relatedto the particular medical supply, such as the type and/or concentrationof the bicarbonate. When the patient's ID card is introduced to thehemodialysis system, the system receives the patient's treatmentprescriptions and treatment parameters. Such information can include thetype and/or concentration of the bicarbonate that is to be used for thepatient's treatment. When the medical supply is introduced to thehemodialysis system, the control unit can determine whether theidentified medical supply matches that which is required for thepatient's treatment. If the medical supply matches, the control unitallows the treatment to continue uninterrupted. However, if the medicalsupply does not match that which is required, the control unit may stopthe treatment or provide an indication that the medical supply does notmatch.

While the communication module of the hemodialysis machine has beendescribed as being positioned within the housing at a location adjacentto the surface of the housing, the communication module may bepositioned elsewhere in the hemodialysis system. For example, thecommunication module may be positioned at or near the touch screen, thecontrol panel, or a front surface of the housing.

While the communication modules and the short-range wireless deviceshave been described as using NFC, other short-range wireless technologyprotocols can also be used, such as radio-frequency identification(RFID) and/or Bluetooth™.

While the short-range wireless devices, medical devices, and medicalaccessories have been described as being configured to receive andprovide information using the short-range wireless technology protocol,in some implementations, the device and/or accessory is configured toeither provide information or receive information. For example, themedical supply may be configured to provide information related to thetype and/or concentration of the bicarbonate without having thecapability to receive and store information. Similarly, the ID card maybe configured to provide information related to the patient withouthaving the capability to receive and store information.

While the ID card has been described as including a photo andidentification information of the person associated with the ID card, insome implementations, the ID card includes different or additionalinformation. For example, the ID card may include information related tothe patient's treatment prescription, insurance information, medicalinformation (e.g., patient allergies), and the like.

In some implementations, the ID card includes one or more securitycomponents for verifying the identity of the person in possession of theID card. For example, the ID card can include a biometric input module(e.g., a fingerprint reader) for verifying that the person in possessionof the ID card is in fact the person with whom the card is associated.In this way, the likelihood of administering the wrong treatment to apatient is minimized.

In some implementations, information may not automatically be providedfrom the ID card to the communication module. Rather, a prompt may beprovided upon the ID card being in wireless communication range of thecommunication module. The prompt may ask a user of the hemodialysissystem to indicate the types of information that should be fetched. Theuser may instruct the hemodialysis system to fetch the patient'streatment prescription and use such information to suggest a dialysistreatment. On the other hand, the user may instruct the hemodialysissystem to fetch the patient's medical history and records, and use suchinformation to manually construct a dialysis treatment. Providing such aprompt can ensure that treatments are not applied to the patient withoutreview and/or approval. Further, the prompt can eliminate a scenario inwhich a patient receives the wrong dialysis treatment because a personwho is not receiving the treatment accidentally introduces his or her IDcard to the hemodialysis machine.

While the dialysis system has been largely described as being ahemodialysis system, other medical treatment systems can employ thetechniques described herein. Examples of other medical treatment systemsinclude peritoneal (PD) dialysis systems, hemofiltration systems,hemodiafiltration systems, apheresis systems, and cardiopulmonary bypasssystems.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example computer system 500. Forexample, referring to FIG. 1, the control unit 101 could be an exampleof the system 500 described here. The system 500 includes a processor510, a memory 520, a storage device 530, and an input/output device 540.Each of the components 510, 520, 530, and 540 can be interconnected, forexample, using a system bus 550. The processor 510 is capable ofprocessing instructions for execution within the system 500. Theprocessor 510 can be a single-threaded processor, a multi-threadedprocessor, or a quantum computer. The processor 510 is capable ofprocessing instructions stored in the memory 520 or on the storagedevice 530. The processor 510 may execute operations such as causing thedialysis system to carry out functions related to voice commands, voicealarms, and voice instructions.

The memory 520 stores information within the system 500. In someimplementations, the memory 520 is a computer-readable medium. Thememory 520 can, for example, be a volatile memory unit or a non-volatilememory unit. In some implementations, the memory 520 stores informationrelated to patients' identities. The information related to patients'identities can include patient names, identification numbers, or valuesthat correspond to patient names or identification numbers, amongothers.

The storage device 530 is capable of providing mass storage for thesystem 500. In some implementations, the storage device 530 is anon-transitory computer-readable medium. The storage device 530 caninclude, for example, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, asolid-date drive, a flash drive, magnetic tape, or some other largecapacity storage device. The storage device 530 may alternatively be acloud storage device, e.g., a logical storage device including multiplephysical storage devices distributed on a network and accessed using anetwork. In some implementations, the information stored on the memory520, such as the information related to patients' identities, can alsoor instead be stored on the storage device 530.

The input/output device 540 provides input/output operations for thesystem 500. In some implementations, the input/output device 540includes one or more of network interface devices (e.g., an Ethernetcard), a serial communication device (e.g., an RS-232 10 port), and/or awireless interface device (e.g., a short-range wireless communicationdevice, an 802.11 card, a 3G wireless modem, or a 4G wireless modem). Insome implementations, the input/output device 540 includes driverdevices configured to receive input data and send output data to otherinput/output devices, e.g., a short-range wireless communication device(such as the ID card 105), a keyboard, a printer, and display devices(such as the touch screen display 118). In some implementations, mobilecomputing devices, mobile communication devices, and other devices areused.

In some implementations, the input/output device 540 includes acommunication module (e.g., the communication module 107 of FIG. 1) thatis configured to communicate using a short-range wireless technologyprotocol. For example, the communication module may be an NFC initiatorthat can establish radio communication with an NFC target (e.g., the NFCtarget of the ID card 105).

The NFC initiator can include a loop antenna that is configured togenerate an RF field that powers the NFC target when the NFC target iswithin wireless communication range of the NFC initiator. The NFC targetcan also include a loop antenna that is configured to modulate thegenerated RF field based on stored data in order to provide the data tothe NFC initiator. For example, the NFC initiator can identifycharacteristics of the modulated field, compare them to characteristicsof the generated RF field, and use the comparison information todetermine the stored data. In some implementations, the identificationand comparison is performed by the processor 510. The data provided bythe NFC target may be stored on the memory 520, the storage device 530,or a separate storage local to the NFC target, among others. In someimplementations, the data provided to the NFC initiator can be used todetermine an identity of a user associated with the NFC target.

In some implementations, the system 500 is a microcontroller. Amicrocontroller is a device that contains multiple elements of acomputer system in a single electronics package. For example, the singleelectronics package could contain the processor 510, the memory 520, thestorage device 530, and input/output devices 540.

Although an example processing system has been described in FIG. 5,implementations of the subject matter and the functional operationsdescribed above can be implemented in other types of digital electroniccircuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including thestructures disclosed in this specification and their structuralequivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. Implementationsof the subject matter described in this specification can be implementedas one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules ofcomputer program instructions encoded on a tangible program carrier, forexample a computer-readable medium, for execution by, or to control theoperation of, a processing system. The computer readable medium can be amachine readable storage device, a machine readable storage substrate, amemory device, a composition of matter effecting a machine readablepropagated signal, or a combination of one or more of them.

The term “computer system” may encompass all apparatus, devices, andmachines for processing data, including by way of example a programmableprocessor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. A processingsystem can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates anexecution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., codethat constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a databasemanagement system, an operating system, or a combination of one or moreof them.

A computer program (also known as a program, software, softwareapplication, script, executable logic, or code) can be written in anyform of programming language, including compiled or interpretedlanguages, or declarative or procedural languages, and it can bedeployed in any form, including as a standalone program or as a module,component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computingenvironment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to afile in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a filethat holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in amarkup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program inquestion, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store oneor more modules, sub programs, or portions of code). A computer programcan be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computersthat are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites andinterconnected by a communication network.

Computer readable media suitable for storing computer programinstructions and data include all forms of non-volatile or volatilememory, media and memory devices, including by way of examplesemiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memorydevices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks ormagnetic tapes; magneto optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. Theprocessor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in,special purpose logic circuitry. The components of the system can beinterconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication,e.g., a communication network. Examples of communication networksinclude a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network (“WAN”),e.g., the Internet.

A number of embodiments of the invention have been described.Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A medical system, comprising: a medical device; afirst communication module configured to communicate using a short-rangewireless technology protocol; and a processor configured to: communicatewith the first communication module to identify presence of ashort-range wireless device, and in response: determine at least oneuser identity corresponding to the short-range wireless device, andautomatically cause the medical device to carry out actions comprising:obtaining, from a data storage, one or more treatment parameters of amedical treatment corresponding to the at least one user identity, theone or more treatment parameters including information of particularmedical supplies required for initiating the medical treatment, anddetermining whether the medical device has access to the particularmedical supplies required for initiating the medical treatmentcorresponding to the one or more treatment parameters.
 2. The medicalsystem of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured toinitiate the medical treatment according to the one or more treatmentparameters in response to determining that the medical device has accessto the particular medical supplies.
 3. The medical system of claim 1,wherein the processor is further configured to determine that theshort-range wireless device is no longer present subsequent toidentifying the presence of the short-range wireless device, and whereinthe processor automatically causes the medical device to carry out theactions in response to determining that the short-range wireless deviceis no longer present.
 4. The medical system of claim 1, wherein themedical device is a dialysis machine and the medical treatment is adialysis treatment.
 5. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the one ormore treatment parameters includes a treatment prescription for apatient associated with the at least one user identity.
 6. The medicalsystem of claim 1, further comprising the data storage, wherein the datastorage is configured to store user data indicating: a plurality of useridentities, each user identity in the plurality of user identitiescorresponding to a user of one or more short-range wireless devices; andat least one treatment parameter corresponding to each user identity inthe plurality of user identities.
 7. A non-transitory computer-readablemedium storing one or more instructions that are executable by one ormore computers associated with a medical device and that when executedcause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:identifying presence of a short-range wireless device, and in response,determining at least one user identity corresponding to the short-rangewireless device; and automatically causing the medical device to carryout operations comprising: obtaining, from a data storage, one or moretreatment parameters of a medical treatment corresponding to the atleast one user identity, the one or more treatment parameters includinginformation of particular medical supplies required for initiating themedical treatment, and determining whether the medical device has accessto the particular medical supplies required for initiating the medicaltreatment corresponding to the one or more treatment parameters.
 8. Thecomputer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations furthercomprise initiating the medical treatment according to the one or moretreatment parameters in response to determining that the medical devicehas access to the particular medical supplies.
 9. The computer-readablemedium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise determiningthat the short-range wireless device is no longer present subsequent toidentifying the presence of the short-range wireless device, wherein theactions are carried out in response to determining that the short-rangewireless device is no longer present.
 10. The computer-readable mediumof claim 9, wherein the actions further include transmitting datarelated to the medical treatment to a remote computer system, serverand/or database.
 11. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, whereinthe medical device is a dialysis machine and the medical treatment is adialysis treatment.
 12. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, whereinthe one or more treatment parameters includes a treatment prescriptionfor a patient associated with the at least one user identity.
 13. Thecomputer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the obtaining the one ormore treatment parameters includes receiving the one or more treatmentparameters from a remote location via communication over a network. 14.A computer-implemented method comprising: identifying, by at least oneprocessor and using a first communication module configured tocommunicate using a short-range wireless technology protocol, a presenceof a short-range wireless device, and in response: determining, by theat least one processor, at least one user identity corresponding to theshort-range wireless device; and automatically causing, by the at leastone processor, a medical device to carry out actions comprising:obtaining, from a data storage, one or more treatment parameters of amedical treatment corresponding to the at least one user identity, theone or more treatment parameters including information of particularmedical supplies required for initiating the medical treatment, anddetermining whether the medical device has access to the particularmedical supplies required for initiating the medical treatmentcorresponding to the one or more treatment parameters.
 15. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising initiatingthe medical treatment according to the one or more treatment parametersin response to determining that the medical device has access to theparticular medical supplies.
 16. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 14, further comprising determining that the short-range wirelessdevice is no longer present subsequent to identifying the presence ofthe short-range wireless device, wherein the at least one processorautomatically causes the medical device to carry out the actions inresponse to determining that the short-range wireless device is nolonger present.
 17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, whereinthe actions further comprise transmitting data related to the medicaltreatment to a device remote from the medical device.
 18. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the medical device is adialysis machine and the medical treatment is a dialysis treatment. 19.The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the one or moretreatment parameters includes a treatment prescription for a patientassociated with the at least one user identity.
 20. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the obtaining the oneor more treatment parameters includes receiving the one or moretreatment parameters from a remote location via communication over anetwork.